Currently on everybody’s social media, there is three things that constantly pop up. There are the posts that attack Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party claiming that she deserves prison time instead of a chance at the presidency. Then, there are the posts that pounce on the Republicans, and their recent presidential nominee Donald Trump. These posts criticizes his hair and assert that his proposed policies are racist and senseless. Finally, there is the posts about Pokémon GO. They are personally my current favorite since they are actually positive. People are posting how Pokémon GO is forcing them to go outside their homes. They are going to public places to catch and fight Pokémon. Now, Pokémon GO is great for making Pokémon enthusiasts get outside of their homes but what does it do for those who were never fans of Pokémon?

Pokémon GO is easy to gain access to. It is as simple as downloading an app to a mobile device, connecting the app to a Google account, dressing and naming a character, and bang, you have access to the world of Pokémon (which Pokémon fans claim is diluted compared to the real versions of the game). Meanwhile, prior versions of Pokémon required the purchase of a handheld Nintendo device and the Pokémon game. This signifies that people who have never had much interest in the game do not have to spend money or even put effort in to joining the world of Pokémon. This is the case for me.

Growing up as kid, I never paid Pokémon much attention. There were two key reasons for this. The first is that I grew up a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan. I had the video games, cards, and even an arm dueler (pictured below). I played it with all my friends before and after in elementary school. The second and more influential reason was that my mother thought Pokémon was a violent and negative influence for kids. Basically, she banished any kind of Pokémon activity from the house, and kept me from gaining any type of Pokémon knowledge.

When the whole uproar of Pokémon GO started a couple weeks ago, I decided to follow the crowd and download the app. After creating my character, I encountered many issue that people who had prior Pokémon experience did not. Here are some of the issues I have, and probably many other people new to Pokémon encountered.

1.) Why did I pick Bulbasaur first?

My first blunder with Pokémon was in probably one of the most crucial parts of the game; the picking of my starter Pokémon. There are three choices: Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. I picked Bulbasaur, or better known as the lamest of three choices. Anybody with any basic Pokémon sense will understand that the other two are clearly better choices. Charmander looks cooler from the start because its tail is on fire and at some point will evolve into a full-sized, fire-breathing Charizard. Likewise, Squirtle has a shell which will have dual water cannons when it reaches its final evolution, Blastoise. Meanwhile, Bulbasaur has flower bulb on its back and when it evolves for the final time into Venusaur, the bulb will transform into a…. tree looking thing….

2.) Pronouncing their names.

In high school, I was the Spanish speaker who took Spanish class. One thing I never understood was how people could not roll their “r’s” in Spanish words like perro (dog) and guitarra (guitar). Pronouncing the “attata” in Rattata is probably the exact feeling that non-Spanish speaker get when they try to roll their “r’s.” I am yet to say the name in a way that does not make me sound foolish.

3.) Understanding Pokémon lingo

Like most things, Pokémon fans have developed their own lingo. There are things like CP (Combat Power) and HP (Health Points) which with a little common sense can be figured out but understanding the point of the Candy and Incense takes a little research.

4.) What beats what, again?

A main part of Pokémon GO is battling your Pokémon against other Pokémon to capture Gyms. I thought that the game was as simple as whichever Pokémon had the higher CP would win the battle. I was wrong. After numerous lectures from my Pokémon expert friend, there are different types of Pokémon and each type has its weaknesses and strengths. Note: No matter how strong your Flareon is it stands no chance against a water type Pokémon.

5.) And the point of the game is?

When I first started playing, all I was doing was catching Pokémon. As I was doing this, I pondered about what the point of the game was. Being forced to listen to Pokémon’s original theme song by my friend, it became the point became clear; you simply “gotta catch’em all.”

In my short time playing Pokémon GO, I have learned many things about Pokémon but it has also taught me a couple things about life. One, never be afraid to try new things. There are things in life we shun that we might actually like if we gave it a chance. Two, gaining new knowledge is crucial to understanding one another. Now that I understand what Pokémon is about, I see why people play the game with a high level of dedication. Lastly, learn to have fun. Our world has become filled with negativity and violence. It is important to go out and enjoy life without worrying about things like whether the person across the street is judging you now for searching for Pokémon in their neighbor’s lawn. We all have our own forms of entertainment so do not be afraid to show yours in public.